Over 73% of businesses offer corporate wellness to attract and retain talent, and strengthen
company culture. Another advantage is to encourage enrollment in consumer-directed health plans, a growing trend.

HEALTHY & WHOLE Supports Lifestyle Changes

HEALTHY & WHOLE addresses not only members with chronic diseases, but the 75% who
need support with lifestyle changes.

One of the key indicators of the quality of a hospital’s care is how frequently its patients are readmitted within a month after being discharged.

A study this month examined readmission rates for pediatric patients and found that nearly 30% of them may have been preventable.

The study, published online by the journal Pediatrics, reviewed the medical records and conducted interviews with clinicians and parents of 305 children who were readmitted within 30 days to Boston Children’s Hospital between December 2012 and February 2013.

It excluded planned readmissions such as those for chemotherapy. Overall, 6.5% of patients were readmitted during the study period.

The study found that 29.5% of the pediatric readmissions were potentially preventable. In more than three-quarters of those cases, researchers determined that hospital-related factors played a role. A significantly smaller proportion were related to the patient (39.2%), often because of issues that arose after discharge, or the primary care physician (14.5%). (Multiple factors played a role in some patients’ readmissions, so the total exceeds 100%.)

The most common hospital-related reasons had to do with how patients are assessed, postoperative complications or hospital-acquired conditions.

Between 1999 and 2015, employer-sponsored health premiums rose 203%.i Deductibles for workers have mushroomed faster than both income and premiums. Businesses have struggled to find ways to contain these costs while providing for their employees.

This graph, “Health Plan Savings for One Employer,” is a real-life illustration of how wise management based on data analysis has saved millions of dollars for a MedCost client over the past five years.

When this client came to MedCost in 2010, hospital admissions were 87 per 1,000 covered lives. Without any changes in plan design or benefits, the MedCost clinical team ensured that patients received thorough follow-up care to avoid readmissions after joint replacements, cardiac and back surgeries and other procedures.

Board-certified case managers and highly specialized obstetrical nurses focused on early identification of high-risk pregnancies, offering tips for prenatal care. Sometimes they interacted with doctors’ offices to help families get the answers they needed.

The result? Better health for patients, and increasingly lower costs for employers. Since 2011, this employer has enjoyed five consecutive years under budget for health plan expenditures—as a result of data analysis and managing the right care at the right time through MedCost Care Management programs.

It is possible to save on health care expenses, using the right partner to manage employee health effectively. If you would like more information about this case study, please contact Jason Clarke at jclarke@medcost.com.

Three and a half years ago, Margaret Nunez first experienced MedCost’s Complex Case Management program when she was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a type of cancer that causes abnormal plasma cells to accumulate in bone marrow and interfere with the production of normal blood cells. The disease is considered incurable but treatable.

Margaret received radiation and chemotherapy and responded well to the treatment. She also underwent a successful auto stem cell transplant. Several months later, with her condition stable, Margaret’s case management file was closed.

When later tests indicated an increase in Myeloma markers, her case management file was re-opened. While participating in the program this second time, Margaret was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery, followed by radiation. During breast cancer treatment, her Myeloma maintenance therapy was discontinued. Once the breast cancer treatments were over, she restarted maintenance therapy. Since her condition was stable, her case management file was closed once again.

Several months later, Margaret re-joined the program after a brief hospital admission for neutropenic fever. Neutropenia is an abnormally low count of white blood cells and makes an individual vulnerable to infection. Margaret’s next bone marrow biopsy showed persistent Myeloma.

“Having the same person follow my case from before my stem cell transplant and then periodically since then has been so important. I’ve been through so many changes and my case manager is always there for me.”*

The goal of our Complex Case Management is to ensure the best use of available health plan resources, while enhancing quality of life. For more information, visit our Case Management pageor contact Jasonat MedCost.

*Margaret Nunez gave MedCost permission to share her story to help others realize the benefits of the Complex Care Management program.